Dead

I believe that is the crux. Signing good quality players with a winning mentality. Also with a core of players who have achieved at SPFL level mixed with young players with the same drive. Getting back to Division Two is a hard task but at least we are giving ourselves a fighting chance. Think it is a given that season 2019/20 with see a more accented difference in the League table between the teams actively striving for a chance at promotion and for those it is not a key objective. It doesn't take an expert to work out that very shortly the Lowland League will become one of the hardest Leagues to be promoted from but for teams that do succeed then they will have been battle hardened for the SPFL challenges that await them above. I hope Shire are one of those teams that go up but until then going into our 4th season in the Lowland League the forthcoming season has the feel of a League campaign with like minded teams with volumes of rival fans who want the same for their own teams. This is what footy is about. Bring it on !

It's a positive move by Eurosport to engage with a potential fan base. Would love to see them improve their social media presence as well and inform properly on their website what is happening with the playing side of the club eg 1st team squad details, signings and departures, match stats and reports etc. This may already be happening behind a pay wall but not something I will ever find out about as I'm not about to become a member. To be honest for a club who have ambitions to progress I can't imagine a business model without plans for a proper social media presence.

Hoping to do the same in the next couple of days. Love pre-season tours down south

After he played against "the" team he wanted to he was off. He went AWOL just before the horrendous 1-9 loss at Stirling Albion and left us in the lurch that day. Sure the Shire then wouldn't release him until we got a fee. Anyway back to the real world, that is a solid signing we have made tonight.

Out of interest how does it work with Edusport Academy's SFA licence when moving to a now ground? Is there a latest time for the ground to be sanction by the SFA and does this have to happen by a particular Lowland League deadline to be ok for season 19/20 eg by the LL agm ? Personally I will genuinely miss Shire's Friday night trips to Annan. Great place for an overnight stay and a few beers and a coastal walk the next day to clear the head! Don't think overnight stays in Hamilton, Bothwell or Bellshill will be quite the same - I am not into fun parks.

Likewise I thought McCaughie would be retained, especially as we are planning a reserve team next season. He was involverld in more games last season that anyone barr Jamie Barclay. I have also put the list onto the club website. https://eaststirlingshirefc.co.uk/archives/4979

Happy to be corrected. Not looked into it since we went down for obvious reasons.

From memory Shire got it for 2 seasons but it was paid at the end of each season. Not heard anything has changed.

For us of that certain generation that means everything. I could never find it in shops when I was a kid even though the guys on the TV told me I could buy it anywhere ! Do you have a secret source ?!

Shire's last Cup Final outwith the Shire Cup was in 1959/60 when we lost 2-5 away to Raith Rovers in the Final of the Penman Cup.

Followed your trip today which you posted on p and b from my phone whilst watching my team. Brought back all the memories and feelings from our (Shire) games v Edinburgh City when went we out of the league to a last minute penalty 3 years ago. No one here can tell you how bad you are feeling and how you and the club can come back from it. They don't understand and have no real words to help you at this moment. The only thing is the club is still here and from that the hope is there that a turnaround can happen. It's at this point you find out who the real fans and friends of the club are. As a whitehill fan said to us when we came down , there is life outside the Scottish League.

Get a grip. Bad as it's not diving off a cliff . The next day comes and the club goes on albeit at a different level and with different goals. I don't remember 1 Shire fan having this RIP attitude to our misfortune dropping put of the Scottish league 3 seasons ago. I have huge time and affection for Berwick Rangers, no matters what happens next week the fans have to get behind the club next season. That's what fans are best at are they ? Life doesn't end for the club at the Scottish Leagues.

I'm sure I'm right with the 2pm ko. Will double check !

Always depends from whom you rent and the deal. Sadly renting deals can be bad as well as good. Or perhaps if you had club owners in the recent past that were hell bent on killing your club for a few personal bobbles and were happy even if they were unsuccessful in their dastardly plot to then just let a ground remain vacant for a decade or more without a smidge of compromise. Then, to survive, a club may have to enter rental agreements that it may otherwise would not have chosen to do. Re the Final venue... Personally Peffermill is always right up there on my calendar for away trips. Early stop at the cask and barrel southside before the baking delights that awaits at the club house. Whichever teams who manage to reach the Final the fans will have a great day out in the city.

We don't do home ties in this competition !

I read this the other day and it got me interested so I took so time out last night to have a look at the Linlithgow Gazettes. Although I didnt have the time to do a proper issue by issue research the 1st mention I found was in the 15/5/1897 edition re a game between Our Boys (Linlithgow) v The Rose (Linlithgow). There was also in the 23/10/1897 edition a Linlithgow Rose Match report of a game at Captain's Park. I wondered if somewhere along the line if the Rose's history has been linked with the earlier clubs which played at Captain's Park. Linlithgow Athletic played there from the late 1880s to the end of season 1895/96 when it appears that either they went defunct or merged with Linlithgow Rovers. At the start of 1896/97 a new club was playing at Captain's Park called Linlithgow Athletic Rovers and in Nov 1896 they held a benefit concert to raise funds help with club funds including the £14 rent for Captain's Park when they had taken over the field "which formerly belonged to the Athletic Football club". However, after this it appears that Linlithgow Athletic Rovers shortly afterwards disappears and Rose then are playing at Captain's Park. So my questions would be; 1) is there a continuation of the team from Linlithgow Athletic to linlithgow Athletic Rovers to Linlithgow Rose or even just between the last two teams ? Would need to do proper research into teamlines, officials and any other pertanent documentation and newspaper articles. If so there would be an argument for Rose having and older formation date 2) If there is no link between these clubs where has the formation club of Rose come from ? One place I would start would be to trace back the oldest references to when 1889 date was 1st used to narrow down the period to find the source document(s) for the formation date For me, when I research club birth stories, if possible, I like to see the evidence myself. From long experience genuine mistakes come down through history and the memories of those that were there at the start are not always the best when asked about what happened 50 years ago etc If I get the time I may look into this further to see what I can come up with. Cross-checking it with other newspapers. Although Rose make have existed before 1897 not being able to find 1 earlier mention is a major issue and even the smallest teams in Victorian football got mentions in their local papers. However, I don't jump to conclusions and just gather all the evidence before making a reasoned judgement that can be back up. Would be interest if any kne has got more information of the birth years of the Rose beyond what is on their website.

Missed my 1st Shire game for a long while but I have been given the following very specific head count from the BSC Glasgow v Shire match today. Will be interesting to find out the actual official crowd 76 crowd plus 17 players and staff = 93

I have been informed of another "lift gate" at our game yest when 6 fans came into the ground via the lift. They weren't included in the original crowd so therefore the actual crowd size was 145. Still a very disappointing crowd, our lowest home league crowd of the season.

Crowd for Shire v The Spartans today was 139

He has always been a stand out when playing against the Shire, both for Selkirk and GFR. Decent player

Crowd at the Shire v Civil Service Strollers game tonight was 186 (slight change to the initially given 179 in case anyone is wondering). Decent amount of support tonight for the Strollers, they certainly enjoyed the Stollers goals.

Nico Gibson is another to add to the list

Your right and to take it further as a particular club goes up and down the tiers has a big effect as well. For example the avg league attendance for my club (East Stirlingshire) was 450 in 3rd Division in 2008/09 and now 10 years later and 1 tier below its approx 300 less.

I was there today, looked more but hard to tell with everyone in the same stand. Thought that myself. Guessed 185. But the match director knows the tally so I go with what he tells me. I was also told that 8 Star fans made the game today which is good given their position in the league. Since we have been in the Lowland League Star have always had travelling fans at our matches. I remember Shire away games in the Scottish League when we had less travelling fans so I am always happy to see away fans make the effort.

Shire crowd today v Dalbeattie Star was 169.